Sunday, May 22, 2016 – George & Elizabeth Brewer, District Dinner at the Horlacher’s home.

We have to leave our home early because we have a 30 minute drive to make our Sacrament meeting that started at 7:50am. When the meeting was over we were pleasantly surprised to see George and Elizabeth Brewer there. 

We haven’t seen the Brewers in over 10 years. They were in the Mesa Lehi Stake, Lehi 3^rd Ward with us. George was a counselor in the bishopric and I was the Ward Clerk. George was also our Home Teacher. Sis. Johnson and I have many fond memories of George and Elizabeth.

Tonight we were invited to dinner at Elder & Sis. Horlacher’s home in the Bushnell House. Elder Horlacher is the Carthage District Leader. All of the other senior couples were invited as well as the 6 YSSM’s (Young Single Sister Missionaries). 

In the picture, the top row L-R: Bro. Kennedy, Elder Metcalf, Sis. Metcalf, Elder Hutchinson, Sis. Hutchinson, Sis. Johnson, Elder Johnson, Elder Horlacher. Middle Row: Sis. Bowler, Elder Bowler, Sis. Horlacher.  Bottom Row: Sis. Nelson, Sis. Ferrell, Sis. Schenck, the Kennedy’s son Aryk

(Pronounced Eric) Sis. Goble, Sis. Wood, Sis Chapmen.

The Horlacher’s also invited Bro. & Sis. Kennedy and their son to join us for dinner. Both the Horlacher’s and the Metcalf’s were involved in their conversion and baptism last summer and fall.  Elder Horlacher gave us a copy of their conversion story, it is incredible.

Throughout the summer of 2015 they returned multiple times a week to Nauvoo to attend the pageants, plays and historic sites. They loved the feeling they had when they were there so they loved coming back. They didn’t understand until later just what that feeling was. Later they started to addend Sunday meetings, during a sacrament meeting talk Bro. Kennedy recalled feeling the Holy Ghost wash over him and very clearly say, “This is the time and this is the place.”

One of the interesting stories of their conversion was how they quit smoking. Both Bro. & Sis. Kennedy quit smoking the same week. During that stressful week Bro. Kennedy received three priesthood blessing for strength to quit smoking. Bro. Kennedy went through addiction withdrawals the first half of the week and Sis. Kennedy went through the withdrawals the second half. They said if they had gone through those traumatic withdrawal symptoms at the same time they probably would have killed each other!